Industrial process control and automation systems are often used to automate large and complex industrial processes. These types of systems routinely include sensors, actuators, controllers, and servers. The controllers typically receive measurements from the sensors and generate control signals for the actuators. The servers typically oversee the operation of lower-level devices, including the controllers.
It may become necessary or desirable to upgrade an existing device in a control and automation system. This upgrade could take different forms, such as the installation of new software on an existing device or the replacement of existing device hardware with new device hardware. Upgrades may be needed or desired for various reasons, such as obsolescence of an existing device, feature or function improvements available in a new device, or greater capacity available in a new device.
Ideally, a device could be upgraded while an industrial process remains online, meaning the industrial process continues to operate during the upgrade. This can help to avoid a manufacturing shutdown and allow continued management of critical support infrastructures. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to provide this type of on-process upgrade when a new device is a different type from its predecessor, such as when the new device has a different software basis, physical form-factor, cabinet layout, power subsystem, or physical supervisory network medium.